A fundamental part of creating a positive and engaging work environment is to foster a sense of inclusion amongst your employees. Entrepreneurs and corporate leaders have long been aware of the importance behind inclusion. Other than simply making employees happy, promoting an inclusive environment can have a substantial impact on the company’s revenue. Team meetings or outings are valuable occasions that are the perfect opportunity to boost morale, so long as they’re effective.
More often than not sales meetings can be perceived as a waste of time to employees. If the story you’re telling isn’t inspiring, you’ll lose engagement. Sales meetings and team outings are a great way to convey the strategic direction of the company. By sharing such information with your employees, they’ll feel as though they’re apart of ‘the big picture’. These meetings are also the optimal time to obtain feedback. Take some time to give employees the floor, and encourage them to share their experience within the company and working with customers. Ensure that each sector and every department is present during these meetings. In facilitating a company wide meeting or event, it will help improve cross-functional team work. Having different departments included will give employees insights on company initiative that they may not have been aware of.
When facilitating these types of events, it’s imperative that the CEO, along with senior management, is present. A lack of inclusiveness or engagement can often times stem from a company’s hierarchy. If employees feel as though their superiors are unapproachable, they’ll be less likely to feel connected to the company and consequently less engaged. A best practice would be for senior management to take part in the event and lead certain sections of the meeting.
Team building exercises or meetings can be highly effective, if done correctly. Facilitating team events can help generate lasting cohesion amongst the company and in turn, lasting results. As a business owner, or even as a manager, it’s important to acknowledge the value in these events. Team building is a fundamental component of your success, invest in inclusion!